Repentance, Rest, and Revival

"In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength,

but you would have none of it." Isa. 30: 15

In the past couple of days, I was re-reading a book for the first time in years.  Actually, I had picked it up several times in the past five years, but I have not been able to get "into it."  The book is The Adversary by Mark Bubeck.  Overall, I have heard it said that it is a "classic" on spiritual warfare.  Classic indeed.  I was struck as I was reading the first few chapters how much emphasis was placed on what we do to keep pure. Without our purity and wisdom, we will fall headlong into the devil's schemes.  These schemes come from the totally corrupt "world system" and many hapless Christians have fallen prey to worldliness thus losing their salvation (23-24).  The last part can only be inferred as he does not come right out and say it, but the context dictates it.

Perhaps the greatest idol of American religion and American Christianity is our fascination with self.  We do not need to be lured by the "world" into a self-centered life because the church and our own flesh does a fine job encouraging it.  Of course if you have an accurate understanding of "the world" that includes all non God-centered thoughts and philosophies as "worldly" such a declaration will not shock you.  You will realize that much of what passes for Biblical religion is really rehashed worldly thought.  Instead of promoting faith and trust, we often promote self-righteous dependence upon our own efforts.

One test of spiritual truth we should teach in every evangelical church: Our life must be God-centered, Christ-centered, and dependent upon the Holy Spirit-centered in its thought and application.  Does my religion promote a trust in myself or a dependence upon God?  Do my religious thoughts promote authentic humility, which is confident trust in God and despair of self, or do they promote self-effort as a means of growth?  Questions we should constantly ask God as we read His word and pray each day.

In today's passage from Isaiah, we see God's take on self-centered religion as opposed to authentic spirituality.  On the one side is Israel rejecting God's ways and running off to Egypt for help against her enemies.  To those folks, God declares they will get what they want.  They will trust in Egypt and Egypt will fail them.  

On the other side is that of authentic spirituality.  "In repentance and rest is your salvation."  Repentance means crying out to God for help.  We have the promise that God "longs to have compassion on us."  He will be our teacher if we just repent of our self-effort and rest in Him.

Furthermore, "In quietness and trust is your strength."  God is able to save from Israel's enemies.  Do we believe it?  I have heard it said recently that Christian spirituality believes, "If it is going to be, it is up to me."  Really?  Anything lasting and real must come from God and His work.  We can trust him and quietly depend upon Him.  Such humility is our strength.

So, how do we do it?  How do we "train" ourselves to live this way?  I call it active passivity.  We must actively repent of our self-effort and attempts to control our situation.  Such repentance runs contrary to our sinful nature.  It seems like death to us!  Yet, it is the doorway into true life and into God's power.  We actively repent and believe in what God has done and will do.  This is resting in and under God's righteousness given to us in Christ.  It passively receives Christ's righteousness and power as its own.

Do you long for God's reviving hand in your life?  Do you wish that God's power would flow through you to bring about His kingdom?  Do you desire to see your friends, family, church, and community changed by the power of God?  Repent of self-effort to bring this about and believe the gospel.  Ask that God would open hearts and opportunities.  Rest in His mighty power and love for you and others.  Trust in His love and power.  Actively quiet yourself before Him.  As you do, you will find that you are participating in what God is doing instead of asking Him to bless what you do.